April 6, Reading 1 – Leviticus 13:24-59

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

Quarantine was the regular method of coping with outbreaks of infectious diseases. The point of the passage about mildew in clothes, harness etc is that we don’t like to expend money on replacement or repairs. A modern example is the government demand for the annual registration inspection of cars re roadworthiness. Unsafe equipment then as now often causes accidents.

SJA Notes

* Holy God, please show us what it means to be clean in Your sight.

“… The priest shall examine …”

One element in these examples is that of the priest conducting an examination.

It is up to the priesthood to be the examiner, the investigator, the watcher to see what is clean and what is unclean.

By the time of Jesus the priests (and the Levites, the teachers of the law, the Pharisees) were very good at coming up with additional rules and regulations around being clean.

Jesus calls them out in Matthew ch 23,

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”

The outside is only a sign. The inside (the heart) is the root of what matters.

Peter comes right up against this when God sends Him a vision of the animals in the sheet.

“So Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality …'”

It is easy to take the route of the leaders of Israel and focus on the external. To make judgements based on our own limited perception.

But God does not do this. He shows no partiality.

All who believe in Jesus receive forgiveness of sins through His Name.

This is the good news!

The wonderful message of hope in our King and Saviour, the Lord Jesus.

* Father God,

Thank You for Jesus, through whom we receive forgiveness for our sins.

Thank You that You show no partiality. Your favour does not come because of our body shape or intellect, what wealth or goods are in our possession, what bloodline we are born into.

You call us to Yourself through Jesus, and Him alone.

Amen.

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